Communication apparatus, method of controlling a communication apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

A communication apparatus, comprising: first and second communication units; third communication unit for performing a communication of data, wherein the second communication unit performs a predetermined communication for activating the third communication unit and has a communication speed slower than and a power consumption less than the third communication unit, wherein the first communication unit has a communication range shorter than the third and second communication unit; reception unit for, if a communication with a communication partner apparatus is initiated by the first communication unit, receiving information relating to the communication partner apparatus by the first communication unit; and selection unit for, based on the received information, selecting whether to initiate data communication by the third or second communication unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication apparatus comprising:
 a first communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy; 
 a second communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to any one of IEEE802.11 series; 
 a start unit configured to start a communication by the second communication unit with an another communication apparatus, in a case where a start instruction is received from the another communication apparatus by the first communication unit; 
 a control unit configured to control the first communication unit such that a connection that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy with the another communication apparatus is maintained after a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started by the start unit so that the communication apparatus communicates with the another communication apparatus using the maintained connection by the first communication unit after the communication started by the start unit is completed. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sharing unit configured to share, between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus, by a communication, a communication parameter that is used when the communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started by the start unit. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the communication parameter is at least one of an SSID, an authentication mode, an encryption scheme, a key, and a MAC address. 
     
     
       4. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sharing unit configured to share, between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus, by a communication, a communication parameter that is used when the communication by the first communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started. 
 
     
     
       5. The communication apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the communication parameter is at least one of a Bluetooth address, a link key, a frequency hopping pattern, an authentication mode, an authentication key, an encryption scheme and an encryption a key. 
     
     
       6. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the start unit starts the communication between the another communication apparatus and the second communication unit, by connecting to the another communication apparatus that operates as an access point defined in any of IEEE802.11 series. 
     
     
       7. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the start unit starts the communication between the another communication apparatus and the second communication unit in a case where the another communication apparatus is detected by a communication of a probe request and a probe response or by a reception of a beacon. 
     
     
       8. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit performs a communication for an image transfer service, a movie streaming playback service or a print service with the another communication apparatus, in the communication started by the start unit. 
     
     
       9. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the start unit starts a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus in a case where there is data that is to be communicated between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus. 
     
     
       10. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the start unit does not start a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus in a case where there is data that is to be communicated between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus and the size of the data is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and
 the first communication unit communicates with the another communication apparatus the data, the size of which is equal to or less than the predetermined value. 
 
     
     
       11. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the start unit does not start a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus in a case where data that is to be communicated between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus indicates a thumbnail, and
 the first communication unit communicates with the another communication apparatus the data. 
 
     
     
       12. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power saving unit configured to restrict a power supply to the second communication unit or put the second communication unit into a power saving mode in a case where the communication started by the start unit is completed. 
 
     
     
       13. The communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an activation unit configured to put the second communication unit into an activation state in a case where a start instruction is received from the another communication apparatus by the first communication unit after a communication by the first communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started; and 
 a non-activation unit configured to put the second communication unit into a non-activation state in a case where a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is not started before a predetermined time elapses after the second communication unit is activated by the activation unit. 
 
     
     
       14. The communication apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the sharing unit shares, by a communication by the first communication unit with the another communication apparatus, a communication parameter that is used when the communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started by the start unit, the communication parameter including at least one of an SSID, an authentication mode, an encryption scheme, a key, and a MAC address. 
     
     
       15. A method of controlling a communication apparatus comprising a first communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy, and a second communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to any one of IEEE802.11 series, the method comprising:
 starting a communication by the second communication unit with an another communication apparatus, in a case where a start instruction is received from the another communication apparatus by the first communication unit; and 
 controlling the first communication unit such that a connection that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy with the another communication apparatus is maintained after a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started in the starting so that the communication apparatus communicates with the another communication apparatus using the maintained connection by the first communication unit after the communication started in the starting is completed. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling a communication apparatus comprising a first communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy, and a second communication unit configured to perform a communication that conforms to any one of IEEE802.11 series, the method comprising:
 starting a communication by the second communication unit with an another communication apparatus, in a case where a start instruction is received from the another communication apparatus by the first communication unit; and 
 controlling the first communication unit such that a connection that conforms to Bluetooth Low Energy with the another communication apparatus is maintained after a communication by the second communication unit with the another communication apparatus is started in the starting so that the communication apparatus communicates with the another communication apparatus using the maintained connection by the first communication unit after the communication started in the starting is completed.